What’s the Origin of This Article?

A search for “EctoLife” reveals no official website; instead, we find a series of press releases that echo similar phrases with minor variations. It appears to be a promotional piece disseminated widely online.

In reality, EctoLife seems to be a nonexistent entity—merely a theoretical concept.

This idea was introduced by Hashem Al-Ghaili, a self-proclaimed “science communicator” originally from Yemen. He operates a Facebook page that shares scientific content, boasting over 33 million followers, and has half a million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

His scientific credentials, however, are ambiguous. While he holds a Master's degree from Jacobs University Bremen in Germany, he has only one peer-reviewed publication listed in NCBI, which is a review article and does not list him as the primary author. It appears he leverages his digital artistry skills to present sci-fi concepts.

The EctoLife notion of growing a baby outside of a human womb claims to be grounded in “over 50 years of pioneering scientific research,” yet he offers no references or citations.

As far as I can ascertain, it remains firmly in the realm of science fiction. If anyone can point me to legitimate sources, please share!

What Does EctoLife Claim to Achieve?

Let’s scrutinize the claims made in Al-Ghaili’s press release.

> [...] the facilities would enable infertile couples to conceive and become the genuine biological parents of their offspring.

Assessment: This could be feasible in certain scenarios, but not in all. The effectiveness would depend on the underlying cause of infertility. An artificial womb could assist individuals with conditions like endometriosis, where eggs and sperm remain viable, but it wouldn’t resolve issues related to malformed sperm or egg cells.

> An ‘Elite Package’ would allow for genetic engineering of the embryo before placing it into the artificial womb. Features such as eye and hair color, strength, height, and intelligence could be selected, while inherited genetic disorders could be avoided.

Assessment: The likelihood of this being possible is minimal. Some aspects may be feasible, while others are entirely unattainable.

Avoiding inherited genetic conditions is indeed achievable today. For example, individuals who are carriers of genetic disorders can opt for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and have the embryos screened for these conditions.

However, we still lack comprehensive knowledge of all genetic factors influencing traits like height, and traits such as strength or intelligence are governed by numerous genes. Research indicates that genetics account for approximately 50% of height, with the remaining influence stemming from nutrition and environment in childhood.

Moreover, while genetic engineering is ‘theoretically’ possible, practical application remains elusive. Techniques like CRISPR often result in many unintended effects with each alteration. Although CRISPR might introduce the desired gene variant, it can also cause alterations in over 70 other sites in the genome, potentially disrupting other genes or leading to early onset cancer.

This array of unintended changes is a significant reason why CRISPR is not yet being tested in humans. Ethical dilemmas aside, practical concerns are paramount. We certainly wouldn’t want to attempt to enhance a child's height only to inadvertently predispose them to cancer.

> Al-Ghaili mentions that an artificial womb could also aid women who have had their uterus removed due to cancer or other complications. Additionally, it could benefit nations facing severe population decline, such as Japan, Bulgaria, and South Korea.

Assessment: This statement holds true.

However, it neglects to address who would care for these children in countries experiencing population decline, nor does it tackle the broader societal challenges contributing to this issue (e.g., the financial burden of raising a child, lack of job security, limited opportunities for children, etc.). Nonetheless, it would assist with the actual process of conception.

> [Al-Ghaili] asserts that the technology is already available, with only ethical constraints hindering it from coming to fruition.

Assessment: I remain skeptical, particularly regarding the bold assertion that genetic engineering techniques operate seamlessly on embryos. But let’s continue.

> Every feature mentioned in the concept is entirely grounded in science and has already been achieved by researchers and engineers. The only remaining task is to construct a prototype that integrates all these features into one device.

Assessment: This is entirely misleading. Many of these features have yet to be accomplished, as evidenced by the subsequent statement:

> Currently, research on human embryos is restricted beyond 14 days. After this period, embryos must be discarded due to ethical considerations. If these ethical limitations were lifted, I estimate it would take 10 to 15 years before EctoLife becomes widely adopted.

Growing embryos is not akin to nurturing a houseplant. We have not yet managed to cultivate human embryos outside a womb for more than 14 days, and substantial biological and technical hurdles remain.

This is just one feature that scientists have yet to achieve, but it represents a significant and intricate challenge in its own right.

> “EctoLife allows your baby to develop in a germ-free environment. The pods are constructed from materials that inhibit germs from adhering to their surfaces. Each growth pod is equipped with sensors to monitor vital signs, including heartbeat, temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygen levels,” claims Al-Ghaili. “An AI-based system also tracks your baby's physical attributes and flags any potential genetic irregularities.”

Assessment: Some of these claims are plausible, while others are not.

While it’s conceivable that a pod could monitor certain vital signs of the developing fetus, like temperature and heartbeat, tracking genetic abnormalities is not something that can be effectively monitored. The fetus’s genetic makeup will not alter as it grows.

Perhaps Al-Ghaili is referring to monitoring physical abnormalities during development? If so, relying on AI for such assessments is concerning. Would you trust an AI to determine if your fetus is developing the correct number of limbs?

Additionally, the assertion of a germ-free environment raises issues, as the human womb is not sterile. Bacteria inhabit the amniotic fluid and colonize the fetus even before birth.

> Since babies are believed to recognize language and learn words while still in the womb, EctoLife growth pods include internal speakers that play various words and music. An app allows parents to select playlists for the baby and even sing directly to them to familiarize the child with their voice before birth.

Assessment: This claim is entirely valid. Research indicates that babies can indeed learn to recognize their parents’ voices and certain words or sounds associated with their parents’ language.

> Thanks to the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool, you can modify any trait of your baby by manipulating over 300 genes. The Elite Package enables customization of your baby’s eye color, hair color, skin tone, physical strength, height, and intelligence.

Assessment: This assertion is completely unfounded, overly simplistic, and largely inaccurate.

For many of these traits, we don’t possess comprehensive knowledge of the genes involved.

And even if we did, CRISPR lacks the precision to reliably alter all the necessary genes in a single embryo without damaging the rest of the genome due to off-target effects.

This resides firmly within the domain of speculative science fiction.

> Each cluster of pods connects to two central bioreactors. The first bioreactor contains nutrients and oxygen, delivered to your baby through an artificial umbilical cord. This bioreactor also holds a liquid solution that mimics amniotic fluid, rich in essential hormones, growth factors, and antibodies vital for your baby’s growth and development.

Assessment: This is intriguing because, while it’s technically feasible, practical application remains elusive.

We understand that a fetus receives hormones, growth factors, antibodies, nutrients, and oxygen within the womb. However, we lack knowledge about which hormones or growth factors are required at specific times or levels—figuring this out could result in the loss of numerous fetuses.

It’s akin to knowing that a cake requires flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. But without understanding the proportions or timing for each ingredient, you cannot successfully bake a cake.

And a baby’s developmental process is far more complex than any cake recipe.

> EctoLife offers a safe, pain-free alternative for delivering your baby without stress. The delivery process is seamless, convenient, and can be initiated with a simple button push.

Assessment: This is accurate, provided we can reach that stage. If we were to overcome the myriad prior challenges associated with growing a baby, then yes, the “birth” process would be the straightforward part.

In Conclusion: Don’t Anticipate Artificial Wombs Anytime Soon

Numerous impressive “concept cars” never transition into reality. A concept merely represents a vision of how something could function, yet remains unverified in the real world.

EctoLife is precisely that—a concept devised by a science communicator. While it represents science fiction, it is not entirely devoid of empirical grounding; all concepts presented have some basis in current research.

However, that does not imply that they will work, let alone that we could implement them today. We lack the precise formula of nutrients, hormones, and growth factors needed to nurture a baby. We do not possess the genetic accuracy to predict how an infant will develop into adulthood, nor would any researcher, company, or nation willingly sacrifice thousands of embryos to test and refine these parameters.

Al-Ghaili has excelled in presenting a science fiction idea as feasible, illustrating how it might be constructed upon the latest cutting-edge research. Yet, it is being discussed as though it were imminent…

…when it is not. Ethical concerns aside, significant technical challenges must be resolved before any thoughts of implementation arise.

Would you consider using an artificial womb if they were a reality?